


This Much Green in the Whole Galaxy

by aimmyarrowshigh, Draco_sollicitus



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: (Ecoterrorist Rey), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - National Park, Autumn, Environmental Justice Lawyer Rey, Established Relationship, F/M, Married Life, Nature, Park Ranger Poe Dameron, Porcupine BB-8
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-04 17:51:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16351304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aimmyarrowshigh/pseuds/aimmyarrowshigh, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Draco_sollicitus/pseuds/Draco_sollicitus
Summary: Poe Dameron lives the life he always dreamed about as a boy; he's a park ranger at Takodana National Park, he's married to the love of his life, and he even has a plucky animal sidekick.A typical day in the autumn finds Poe Dameron going about his business, continuing the important mission of the National Park Service, meeting bear friends, and fully appreciating the joy found in the everyday.





	This Much Green in the Whole Galaxy

The sun rose over Takodana National Park, casting a warm promise over the vast forest whose trees had officially adopted the uniform of autumn. As the sky lightened in the east, Poe Dameron walked out of his cabin, cracking his back slightly, and stood on his front porch; he sipped his coffee, his socked feet warm and protected from the roughened wood that creaked beneath him.

The park would be closed to visitors this time next week. All around him, the signs of human activity had slowed to a standstill: a single thin plume of smoke from one of the cabins down by the bend in the river broke through the crisp air, but the jarring rumble of engines and tires was absent.

Poe lived for quiet moments like these. It was the reason he'd sought out a career as a park ranger, the reason he'd left the hectic cacophony of modern life behind. A quiet life was all he had ever asked for, and for so long, he'd assumed solitude would be the only way to ensure the kind of happy peace he craved.

A branch cracked near the tree-line.

Poe's eyes tracked the source of the noise -- he leaned over the railing of his porch and spotted the bumbling porcupine who toddled up the lawn towards the cabin.

A loud chattering burble started to squeak out of the porcupine's sweet, curious face. Its pace increased when its dark eyes spotted Poe -- although that didn't mean much, since porcupines were notoriously slow creatures.

"Hey, bumble," Poe called out fondly. "Come to say good morning?" Another excited snuffle burst forth, a collection of low, squeaky grunts that captured the porcupine's excitement at seeing Poe. "Or are you just using me for breakfast?" Another chortle, apologetic almost, as he neared the steps to the cabin. "Mhm."

The porcupine's long umber quills were low and relaxed as the friendly, chatty boy paced at the foot of Poe's front steps. Poe had to set his coffee mug down on the porch railing to grab the plywood board that he kept expressly to create a ramp for the round porcupine, whose proper name was Bumbly Baby, to walk up. His legs were too short for stairs.

Like a proud, prickly king, Beebee clambered up the improvised incline, body wiggling with a barely contained excitement that continued to leak out in the form of abbreviated, absurd grunts that Poe pretended to be able to understand. When he reached the top of the stairs, Beebee shuffled to him and placed a single, pebbled paw on his leg.

"Hey, buddy." Poe knelt down and gently rubbed Beebee’s snout. "I thought we were working on being more independent, huh?"

Beebee chattered a string of indignant noises that Poe interpreted to mean, _But being alone is no fun! Even you agree, My Friend Poe._

"Yeah, yeah," Poe said, still absentmindedly petting Beebee (he wouldn't recommend absentminded petting of a porcupine to most, but after bottle raising the small rascal in front of him, he liked to think himself, at the very least, a Petting-Bumbly-Baby Expert). "Still, though. What are you going to do if I'm not here in the future?"

A deeply insulted squawk bubbled out, and Poe laughed, scratching Beebee under the chin. _I beg your pardon?_ was the most polite translation of the porcupine's disbelief.

A long noise that could _only_ be a yell for "FOOD!" told Poe that the pleasantries of morning salutations were over.

The door behind Poe creaked on its hinges. "Do I hear a bumbly boy?"

"I thought you were going to sleep in today," Poe said gently, turning to smile at the woman in the doorway. Beebee trotted towards her, squeaking merrily at the sight of his other favorite person (probably More Favorite) in the world. Not that Poe could hold that against the little guy, though.

Rey, a real live wood nymph with her long legs peeking out from the hem of one of Poe's sweaters -- knitted for him with love by his dad -- and her hair a complete bird's nest, yawned with soft eyes. "I wanted to give Beebee his present."

"I feel like Beebee would understand the belatedness of the present, Sunshine." Poe smiled while he took in the best view of the morning so far. "Considering it's not even for a special occasion."

"Excuse you," Rey said, looking slightly more awake as she stepped into her daily role of teasing Poe Dameron. "P-u-m-p-k-i-n season is very much a special occasion."

"True." Poe smiled at her, then lifted his sturdy steel moka pot. "Coffee?"

Mmm," Rey hummed and walked to him, her feet bare and seemingly immune to the leftover chill of dawn. "This is why I love you, Dameron." Her hands folded around Poe's mug, lifting it out of his hands. She sipped indelicately, her hazel eyes drifting shut in appreciation. 

If anyone else in the world swiped Poe Dameron's coffee before eight a.m., he'd contemplate homicide. Instead, he wound his arms around Rey's waist. His hands slipped under the hem of the heavy sweater to rest on her bare skin beneath. 

Beebee took the opportunity to reclaim his throne: a tattered old cat bed in the corner of the porch.

Poe huffed into Rey's shoulder, inhaling deeply the scent of their detergent, her shampoo, and the smell of home. 

"I don't know why," Rey said, her hands wrapping around his shoulders. He could feel her warmth through his flannel shirt. "But I feel like you're about to say something very sentimental."  
"Marry me," Poe whispered, his breath a wispy fog behind her back. 

"I already did."

It was true: before the last of the snow melted and ran off the peaks into the swelling river, the ring that Poe had worn on a chain around his neck alongside his dog-tags since the day Shara had been buried slid onto Rey's finger. Kes had come out to Takodana National Park to be there for the week. Han- and Chewie's unreliable biodiesel van managed the slick winter roads. Even Luke left his literal perch in an old redwood on his tiny unnamed Pacific Northwest island home and showed up to walk Rey down the "aisle" of dark, rich early spring dirt.

It hadn't been much by way of ceremony; it just wasn't who they were. But Poe remembered the way his bride had looked, walking towards him with the first of the spring flowers woven through her hair, and he knew that it had been absolutely perfect. Han had placed her hand in his, and they had turned to face Leia, her iron-grey hair intricately braided around her head like the crown of a queen, who helped them make the promise to love, cherish, and honor one another in front of their rag tag family.

Even Grizzly Male R2D2 made an appearance, choosing their wedding day to emerge from his winter hibernation and splash into the cold water to catch his first salmon of the season.

Poe had thought it an auspicious sign at the time, and now, more than half a year afterwards, he had been proven absolutely right. While not recognized by any legal authority in the United States, his marriage to Rey had given him the kind of happiness he was sure only existed in fairy tales -- and in the love story of his own parents.

"She's a good one," Kes had murmured to Poe as they watched the sparkle of a meteor shower overhead, once most of their guests had wandered back down the trail to pile into Leia's bed all together -- Poe didn't judge. "You hold onto her."

Kes would know. He'd held onto Shara from the moment they met, chained to the same redwood tree back in '77. That was when they had met Luke, too, on Shara's other side, with Han, Leia, and Chewbacca around the back of the massive trunk.

It had been the stories of his parents that sustained Poe's own inner romantic for years, kept him going on his search for the right partner -- and when he met Rey, mid-vandalism and ready to take on the First Order by herself, with her bare hands, it was as though something had settled into place inside himself, some restlessness coming to an end, a restlessness he didn't even have a name for before Rey.

Poe laughed softly, and his breath still made a visible puff in the morning air. His lips rested against the warm base of Rey's neck. "You could always marry me again."

His wife was a pragmatist, a fact he knew well, grounded in reality and indifferent to fantasies that served no purpose to improve the life she had fought so hard for. But he also knew she loved him (she loved him, a joy that he didn't think he'd ever get over), and he knew it even more as she laughed throatily and hummed in agreement. "Oh, alright."

Poe kissed her soft skin in delight, his hands beginning to roam under the coarse material of her borrowed sweater. "But after we give Beebee his present."

Poe grinned. "Okay. Better to have the ringbearer happy." His eyes lit up. "Although he's more of a ring... porcupiner."

"I take it back," Rey grumbled, wiggling free of his embrace. "Keep the puns and your proposal, Dameron." She walked back into the cabin, and Poe fought back a whine from the sudden lack of Rey in his arms.

She came back only moments later, still beautifully bare-legged.

"Hey, Beebee," she cooed. "Come here, buddy."

Her arms were holding something very close to her stomach, the sweater sleeves obscuring it from view entirely. With a curious squeak, the porcupine waddled over to Rey, who knelt on the wooden planks of the cabin Poe had built. "I have something for you," she said.

 _Gift? Gift? Gift?_ Beebee seemed to ask, entire body wiggling as he sniffed at Rey's surprise.

Poe grinned. "Wait! Let me get the camera. This will be good to add to my school show."

"Hurry!" Rey urged him as he ran past to grab his Nikon sitting on the bookshelf inside. "I can't hold him off for much longer!" Poe grinned while hearing Rey gently remind Beebee that friends didn't quill friends.

"He's caught the scent!" Rey giggled, grinning for Poe's eyes only when he jogged back onto the porch. She never appeared in any of the videos that Poe posted on the park's social media accounts or showed as part of his educational elementary school visits. The bloodsucking human leeches of the First Order were too keen to find her after the incident at Starkiller Oil Base.

"Make sure you get my good side," Rey joked. "The one not wanted in four different states." Poe laughed -- ignoring the anxiety for now -- and angled the shot so that Rey's face was entirely absent from it. Instead, the camera focused on the absolute joy and excitement of one adorably, squeaky, bumbly boy.

"It's October," Poe told the camera. "And if we know one thing about our friend Beebee, it's that he likes round, orange things, right? Well, there's something this time of year that's round and orange _and_ our good buddy can eat it!"

He zoomed in to where Beebee had shoved his snout in between Rey's forearms. "Now, if my helper would be so kind as to reveal the surprise --"

Beebee's supersonic squeaking increased in joyful intensity at the sight of the little pumpkin. His funny hands took two tries to grab onto it, but then he snatched it from Rey's hands and clutched it to his chest like a precious toy.

"Now, don't let Beebee fool you," Poe narrated, following the porcupine's excited treatment of his pumpkin. Beebee greedily started to nibble at the firm outer skin. "Pumpkins are actually a great treat for our small mammal friend. They're packed with Vitamin C, which keeps Beebee healthy, and they're also high in beta-carotene."

The loud crunching noises were punctuated liberally with greedy, happy burbling.

"Can I see that pumpkin, buddy?" Poe held out his hand.

Beebee warbled, and Poe debated whether or not he could put _buzz off, park boy!_ as a caption on his video.

"Alright, alright, no sharing." Poe pulled his hand back with a grin that went unseen by the camera.

He kept filming as Beebee's sharp, dark teeth thoroughly investigated the little pumpkin. Poe explained the finer points of porcupine diets, and at one point, he would swear under oath that Bumbly Boy actually repeated the word _pumpkin!_ back to him.

Rey managed to stifle her giggles through all of this, and her eyes shone as she watched their spiky friend work his way through his special fall treat. At some points, Poe had to catch himself as the focus of the lens drifted because he was too busy staring at his wife to keep the camera steady.

Once the pumpkin was gone, Beebee trundled up to nudge his face against Poe's shins.

"Uh-oh, no more pumpkin?" Poe filmed his own hand gently stroking over Beebee's relaxed quills. "What are you gonna do, buddy?"

Two tiny, scratchy paws came to rest on Poe's bent knees, and Beebee's nose rubbed imploringly against the Nikon. A series of quick, sad snorts suggested that Beebee hoped there would be more pumpkins to come.

"Oh, yeah, the lens is round," Poe agreed. "You can't eat the camera, pal."

 _More pumpkin?_ Beebee's subsequent squeaks seemed to ask. _Good Friend Poe brings more pumpkin?_

Poe scratched the underside of Beebee's chin. "Turn around. Take a look."

He carefully guided Beebee through a pivot, and the porcupine trilled in delight. Rey had snuck away during Beebee's begging to carefully lay out a bevy of miniature pumpkins, now arrayed in a line leading to the edge of the front porch.

Beebee stopped stock-still, then looked back at Poe as if to say, _Are those all for me?_

"Go on, buddy," Poe urged the porcupine. "It's all for you."

With a final, exhilarated squeak, Beebee began his quest to consume all of the pumpkins laid out before him.

Poe took a few seconds to reiterate the importance of enrichment time for animals that didn't grow up in the wild -- like Bumbly Baby, who spent most of his life within the walls of Poe's cabin -- and explained the way that many zoos and sanctuaries had begun to use pumpkins as part of enrichment play. He zoomed in to show Beebee's fearsome teeth, then closed out the video with his usual sign-off.

"Remember, friends: as long as there's nature, we've got a chance."

He flipped the power switch and set the camera to the side. "Who's the best star in the galaxy?" He cooed, rubbing a hand down Beebee's still-relaxed back. The porcupine cleaned the last of the pumpkin off his clawed hands. 

"Thanks again for going to get those," Poe said to Rey, who was standing once more and smiling down at the boys in front of her.

"It was my pleasure," she said. "I had to check Luke's PO box in town anyway."

"Anything good?" Poe asked, standing up once more after one final scritch under Beebee"s chin. He held his arms out in hopes that she'd warm him some more.

"The usual," Rey said casually, stepping into his embrace without missing a beat. She rested her head on his shoulder. "Some cease and desist notices, a few angry letters from Kylo Ren. And a really great REI coupon."

Poe grinned. "Great. The coupon, not the dickhead."

"I don't know," Rey sighed contentedly, and Poe pressed a kiss into her sweet-smelling hair. "It was a very lovely addition to our campfire last night."

Poe laughed and nuzzled into the neckline of the sweater to breathe in her sleepy scent. "I didn't even realize. Good riddance."

"Mhm." Her blunt nails scratched at his scalp, and he nearly purred into her collarbone. "Well, we made an educational video, and a porcupine's day -- so, I feel like I can go back to bed."

Poe nodded, his fingers still trailing along the delicate bones of her shoulder.

"...You could always join me," she added slyly.

"I could." Poe lets the words linger like he's actually considering another option. "Or I could go trek out to the pines and see whether Threepio's out and about yet this season."

"I wasn't aware that Threepio was in the business of providing snuggles." Rey extricated herself slowly from Poe's arms -- taking special care to press her body against him in a tantalizing fashion as she moved away -- and smirked over her shoulder at him as she traipsed back into the cabin. "But do send him my regards."

She very deliberately stretched her arms over her head as she headed back towards their bed, the sweater lifting with her movement. Poe swallowed hard at the sight of her bare bottom peeking out from underneath the hem.

"You know," Poe added hastily, "I think the old bear's probably just fine where he is."

"If you say so, Ranger," Rey said, spinning on her heel and sitting on the edge of the bed. She crooked a finger at him. "So, if you aren't needed elsewhere..."

"Well," Poe hedges, even as he starts to unbutton his flannel, "I can think of one place."

Beebee squeaked and tried to follow Poe into the cabin while he strode forward, and Poe ruefully shook his head at the eager little guy. "Sorry, buddy," he said. "Married couple stuff. You understand."

Beebee made a few whining snuffle-sounds, but the pervasive herbal scent of pumpkin reminded him that he has his own treats to lavish attention on this afternoon.

Poe laughed for a moment at how quickly Beebee's attention redirected, but a musical " _Well_?" drifted out from inside the cabin, and his attention diverted just as quickly as the porcupine's had. 

Poe turned around again to find Rey's fingers lazily stroking between her legs.

"Are you going to just stand there, or are you going to help?" Rey asked, bringing one foot up to rest on the bed, giving Poe a very clear view of what she was doing.

"Well, I was just thinking," Poe said, and it was amazing how his throat still went dry just looking at his wife, "It was pretty amazing how you found the one place I'd rather be than... well, just about anywhere."

"I'm flattered," Rey said, large eyes drifting shut as her fingers notched inside herself. Poe couldn't look away, and his feet moved his body forward as though he were in a trance. "But I can think of a more specific place you should be than just gawking at me in the doorway."

"Oh yeah?" Poe breathed, drawing nearer. "Where's that?"

Rey lifted her eyebrows, the very image of nonchalance, even as one of her fingers sunk out of sight.

"Read you loud and clear," Poe reported, smirking as he sank to his knees in front of her. "You can lie back now, sweetheart. I got it from here."

"Took you long enough," Rey sighed as she stretched out against the sheets.

Poe wrapped his hands around her ankles to arrange her knees just so on his shoulders. He stroked the lengths of her calves, spidersilk hair soft under his palms, and continued on up her shapely thighs.

He brought his nose to the inside of her left thigh and dragged it along the firm muscle there, his hands now firmly wrapped around her hipbones. When he reached the thatch of curls at the apex of her thighs, he pulled away and resumed nosing down her right. "Tease," Rey grumbled, not sounding too irritated about it.

"Never." Poe sucked lightly on the thin, ticklish skin at the back of her knee and Rey's muscles jerked reflexively.

It wasn't even mid-morning yet -- he could take his time. He would take his time.

This late in the season, there was less for Poe to do around the park. He could lavish Rey with his attention instead.

So, he smiled at his wife while she preened happily up on the bed, her thumb tucked between her teeth as his hands drifted with delicate purpose over her thighs. 

He tucked the thick sweater up over her belly enough that he could grip her bare hips -- and use them to pull her down the bed to meet his mouth. Rey did a pretty fair impression of a Beebee squeak with the surprise movement.

Poe smirked at the noise, a coil of pleasure tightening in his gut. "Everything okay up there?" He asked, letting his breath wash over her on purpose. 

"Mhm," Rey gave him a trembling thumbs up. "All good up here, Ranger Dameron."

"Oh good." He used his thumbs to part her lips, and he stared hungrily at the pink, soft flesh he exposed. His thumb gently outlined the entrance of her cunt, dipping in for just a second, before dragging up to her hooded clit. 

Rey squirmed in his hands under the intense scrutiny. "Stop staring, you dork, it's the same as yesterday."

"Just let me take my time," Poe chided her gently, completing another circle of cunt to clit. He kissed the inside of her thigh and catalogued the image of her squirming, as it was just as thrilling as ever. "As If I could ever get tired of this."

Rey's answering sound was less of a squeak than a snort this time. "I didn't say that, I'm just saying, you know... I'm less patient than you."

Poe laughed at that, but he generously muffled the sound into her skin.

"Trust me, sweetheart, I know." Poe relented, and slipped his middle finger in up to the second knuckle, crooking it upwards. Rey's hips lifted off the bed, and he felt her toes curl against his back. "I know."

Once Rey's fingers tightened in his curls, Poe stopped teasing and lowered his mouth to her clit.

He started with the open mouthed kisses she preferred, pressing his lips to her heated skin. Poe tried to pour his absolute adoration for his wife into it, his finger pumping in and out of her body in time with the rhythm of his mouth. The hand not currently fucking Rey slid to her lower stomach in an attempt to pin her hips a bit more to the bed, to keep her still enough that he could give her proper attention. 

Rey's other hand slid into his hair, too, her short nails scratching lightly behind his ear to show her appreciation. One of her narrow feet slid up to rest on his shoulder so she could angle her cunt against his mouth just how she wanted.

Poe thrilled at her decisive movements -- he loved it when his wife took charge of her pleasure, and he was more than happy to help. He switched so his fingers were at her clit, and thrust his tongue into where the taste of Rey was purest. Her nails dug a little more sharply into his scalp, and she keened in approval, so he had a feeling it was the right move. 

Rey's other heel dug into the mattress beside Poe's ribs. "Can you -- another? But I don't want to come yet, so -- "

"You got it," Poe murmured, slipping two fingers into her, and massaged her upper wall firmly but gently. He used his tongue to trace around her clit, sometimes passing over it, but sticking to delicate, teasing touches that would drive Rey a little higher, but would most likely not be enough for her to come. Her gasps grew increasingly loud, and he swore he could feel her body coiled tighter than a spring.

The foot on his shoulder pushed him away. "Wait, wait, wait -- just come up here, please."

Poe wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked at Rey -- the sweater now pulled up to the bottom of her lovely tits, the swells of them just barely showing under the thick fabric -- and he smirked. "Yes ma'am. Pants or no pants?"

"No pants." Rey shook her head like he was ridiculous. "I'm... I think today is a day I can come, so... I want -- " 

For as bold as she was, she still went red at the apples of her cheeks and her freckles stood out against the pink flush like a dusting of cinnamon.

"What do you want, gorgeous?" Poe asked softly, already standing and unbuckling his thick, leather belt. He pulled it free from the loops as he stared down at her, and Rey scooted herself up the bed until her head was at the pillows. She didn't answer, nor did her blush fade. "Will you tell me what you want? Please?'

"Just _do_ me already, Dameron." Rey huffed, even as she reached out to help him strip out of his jeans.

"Bossy," Poe laughed, not even bothering to look offended. "It's all work with you, huh?" He kicked his jeans free from his feet and clambered up on the bed with less grace than R2 could have mustered. 

His grin might split his face with the effort to contain his enthusiasm, and Rey could only mug at him in response. She latched onto him with both arms and both legs like a clingy baby opossum and pulled him down on top of her with a needy little noise that went straight to the shivery base of Poe's spine.

As always, his happiness shook with that tremor of near disbelief from the layer of Poe that still wanted to pinch himself to see if he was asleep, if he was really dreaming this, this perfect reality where Rey wore his ring, and pulled him to her naked, eager body, her lip caught between her teeth as her hungry eyes devoured him. "You want my cock, sweetheart?" He asked, no longer grinning, but nuzzling into her sweat-dampened neck. 

Rey nodded and tucked her face against his shoulder. As much as he liked her bossy, he liked this Rey, too, the soft and vulnerable one who made sex feel like the highest form of trust.

"We'll start slow?" Poe asked gently, his heart clenching at the barely audible mhm, accompanied by the barest of nods. Her fingers tightened on his back, and Poe guided himself to her, shuddering when the head of his cock brushed against her sticky-hot entrance. 

Rey's fingers found their way back into his hair. She stroked light circles over the nape of Poe's neck and hummed quietly, little absentminded noises of approval and contentment.

"I love you," Poe whispered, his eyes drifting shut as his hips pushed forward, and he sank into her. "God, I love you." Rey's breath caught, her mouth near his ear, and she sighed while he pulled back out enough to push in, further this time. Her feet pushed against the bed, helping her to adjust the angle at which he entered her, and Poe gave her a few seconds to adjust to him -- he groaned at the feeling of her fluttering around him like the delicate wings of a Monarch. 

Rey's lips found the side of Poe's neck. "Love you, too. 'M good, fast is okay today.”

Poe nodded, pausing for one more second to tug on his flannel -- Rey's hands came to help him pull it up and over his head, briefly catching on his curls -- and then he lowered himself once more, weight born on his right forearm while his left hand gripped Rey's thigh and hooked it over his waist. "Let me know if that changes," he said. Rey nodded, and then her head tossed back on her pillow with a sharp oh as he pushed in without further warning. 

His thrusts picked up speed, and Rey's fingers wove through his hair, tugging encouragingly.

He gently folded up Rey's heavy sweater -- his sweater -- enough to bare her breasts so that her pretty peaked nipples brushed against his skin with every thrust.

"That's -- that's good," Rey gasped, her lips pressing senselessly into the column of his throat. Poe groaned and didn't relent in his pace. "That's so good, so, so--" 

"Yeah?" Poe pressed his mouth to the side of her head. Her hair still smelled like sleep, like their pillows, but familiar musky heat rose from her skin, too. "Can I put my mouth on 'em?"

"Yes, of c-- _oh god, like that_ \--" Rey tightened around him, her hands slipping to his lower back, eager and hot palms pressing to his skin. "Yes, yes, you can--" 

It took a little effort to keep the angle and pace of his hips steady as he bent down to nuzzle against her warm, soft chest, but the work also gave Poe a respite to keep from coming just yet. Something about Rey always turned him into a teenager again, too eager by half and incapable of being smooth or cool or cocksure.

And as his lips wrapped around a pink, stiff nipple, her cry of pleasure was his immediate, thrilling reward. Poe was lost to her, lost to this -- he needed to think of something, anything, _purchase requisition forms, salmon fishing schedules, muskrat migration patterns_ \-- and he switched to the just as pretty twin on the other side, dragging his nose along the gentle swells of her chest on his way there. 

Rey's short nails dug into his scalp and her legs squeezed around his waist, feet awkwardly dancing over the backs of his thighs and up to his ass like a wayward waltz to get some leverage as she buckled like she was torn between pressing up into his mouth or curving to meet his thrusts.

As good as the tight clutch of her cunt felt, Poe knew which one he preferred -- he met her for a kiss halfway, their tongues messily tangling, her hands now framing his face. Poe didn't slow down, couldn't really, and he collected her sighs in his mouth, some groans of his own mingling in what little space still existed between them. 

"Gonna," Rey murmured against the side of Poe's face. Her lips dragged over his stubbly cheek until she could scrape her teeth against the soft part of his ear.

"I hope so," Poe whispered back. His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed frantically, trying not to lose all composure at the use of Rey's secret weapon. He didn't know why he liked it so much when she tugged his earlobe between her sharp little teeth.

Perhaps it was because he knew that as prettily as she sighed in their bed, as soft and welcoming as her body was for him, Rey Dameron (nee Erso) was the definition of a spitfire, a wildcat that could give every lynx and mountain lion on park property a run for their money. Rey was a wild thing, his own wild thing, and the fact that she wanted _this_ with him, that she'd chosen him --

 _No, come on Dameron_ \-- she had implied she was close, which meant he needed to hold on just a little longer until -- 

"I -- yes," Rey grunted into his neck. She didn't come prettily, like she cared about how he thought she looked -- which made it all the more gorgeous to Poe. Her face collapsed into a deep, concentrated scowl, teeth bared in a snarl.

She groaned in her throat, the pitch ratcheting until it burst forth in a shriek that was half-moan, half-scream. Poe licked along the clean lines her neck made with her head tossed back, the tendons standing out in sharp relief as Rey came around his cock. And with a few more thrusts, Poe was right there with her.

Rey came back to herself with her teeth on Poe's collarbone. "Thank you."

A lingering shiver of Poe's orgasm leaked out, and he choked out a "welcome," into the pillow. Rey laughed sweetly, her hands drifting up and down his spine, and Poe fought the urge to purr.

They lay quietly long enough that Poe dozed off, still aware of Rey's hands gently rubbing through his hair and the morning sounds of the forest around the cabin, but relaxed and dreamy. Moments like this, it was only too easy to feel like the only people in the world were himself and Rey. No cities, no oil rigs, no power plants. Just him and Rey and their little pocket of quiet safety between their salvage-wood walls and the endless march of nature around them, life slowing down as the trees and birds and animals prepared to hibernate for winter. 

Poe could happily spend six months in bed with Rey.  
He'd emerge in the spring better rested than he ever had been, maybe finally sated of his near-constant hunger for his wife -- completely, blissfully happy after spending the cold months in Rey's arms, completely separated from the outside world. 

But, he had animals to help and trees to save, and Rey had corporations to ruin and systems to dismantle. No, they wouldn't hibernate this winter, but Poe knew he could count on moments like this to pull him through any of life's trials.

Eventually, Rey nuzzled against the side of his head, and Poe blinked his eyes open against the bright mid-morning sun

It wasn't necessarily a natural wake-up, nor was there an alarm that told him it was time to rejoin the world. Instead, it was the rumble of his wife's stomach, gurgling in anticipation, loud enough to stir him from his nap.

He could hear Beebee still happily crunching away through the pile of pumpkins and squeakily talking to himself out on the porch. Poe pushed himself up on his elbows and smiled at Rey. "Good morning, again. Did you get any pumpkin treats for us in town, too, or just the round boy?"

"Mhm!" Rey leaped from the bed, not at all slow to wake up like Poe was (had she even slept?), and ran straight to the kitchen. "Pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin pie!"

Poe smiled fondly at her excitement, unwilling to tease her for her enthusiasm. Too much of her life had been spent hungry. 

He was also slow to physically get out of bed as he cracked his sore neck and rolled his tight shoulders before standing. 

"No pie for breakfast for me," he said -- their cabin was too small to need to speak louder than a normal tone to reach from one side of the single room to the other -- "But pumpkin bread is heaven."

Rey nodded, already sliding the plates out of the cabinet he'd installed himself last year (he used to keep them stacked up on the counter, but Rey and Finn had taken to playing frisbee with them when they were lying out). He couldn't help but notice her eyeing the plate guiltily. 

Poe continued to stretch his arms out. "There's nothing wrong with pie for breakfast if that's what you were going to have," he added, and the guilt on Rey's face abated. She grabbed the whipped cream from their tiny fridge and snagged two forks. 

Poe smiled at the way she flitted around the cramped kitchen space. He'd slowly accumulated more and more cooking accoutrements since Rey showed up in the park like an avenging angel.  
There really wasn't room for everything he wanted to give her, but where there used to be empty space, now copper pots and cast iron pans hung from the roof beams, bowls and plates overfilled the cabinets, and a dedicated steel tea kettle had joined his dingy moka pot on the small stove.

He'd built this cabin himself, but it was funny how it hadn't felt like home until Rey.

She paused in her movements, one plate now full of pie, and another with two generous slices of pumpkin bread (probably too much for him to eat, as he'd had a banana and some peanut butter when he woke up before the sun), and smiled at him. "You staring because you're ready for round two, Dameron?"

"Always." He winked at her. "But no, I'm just... happy."

Her answering smile warmed him from the tip of his nose to his feet. Poe pulled his boxers on once more -- his flannel was gone, now worn by Rey, and honestly it looked better on her anyway -- and tried cracking his back one last time, to no particular success. 

Rey frowned at the wince on his face. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's just the cold weather." Poe shuffled to the dresser to find a fresh henley and another flannel.

"Yeah?" Poe nodded, tugging the henley over his head, shaking his curls out. "Okay. Let me know if you need a back rub later."

"You know I'll never say no to one of those.” Poe slid his arms through the flannel. Rey grinned at him and set his plate down on the rough-hewn table; her legs were still bare and exposed to the chilly air, so Poe grabbed a pair of sweatpants from the drawer, and crossing to where she stood, traded her the warm pants for a kiss and a fork. 

She shimmied into the sweatpants one-handed while piling about half of her pie onto her fork with the other.

"Sit down, stay a while," Poe protested, settling into his own chair and sliding hers out with his foot. Rey mumbled something about but pie, and flopped down onto her seat, pulling her knees up to her chest. With one terrifyingly large bite, a good portion of her slice disappeared.

Poe had to move her laptop across their small table to be able to see her. Her cheeks puffed out as she chewed with unabashed enthusiasm, and Poe fell a little more in love.

"I shouldn't be out that long today," he told her. "Leia is rousting out the last of the campers and I think she and Finn are putting up the roadblocks for the season, but I have to go up to the falls and take some water samples."

"Mkay," she said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, missing the small fleck of whipped cream above the corner of her top lip. Poe gestured at the spot on his own mouth, and Rey wiped again with a small frown of determination forming between her brows. "You taking the boy with you?"

"He can always tell when I'm going into bear territory." Poe sighed.

"Someone, someday, is going to have to explain to the little fellow that no, he is not a grizzly bear, and no, he cannot fight one,” Rey noted drily. 

"He doesn't want to fight them." Poe rankled at the assault on Beebee's character. "He thinks they're just exceptionally great porcupines."

"If someone barreled at you full speed, squeaking their tiny head off, pointy bristles jabbing everywhere, you'd probably assume they were attacking you," Rey said matter-of-factly. "Whether or not the good Bee intends to provoke the bears is irrelevant."

Poe swallowed some pumpkin bread. It was good, redolent with cinnamon and cloves, crunchy with pecans. "They know he's just trying to be their pal. Or at least they're not taking him seriously as a threat enough to do anything. But I'll keep an eye on him."

"I know you won't let anything happen to our boy." Rey cleaned off the rest of her plate with vigor. "I'll stay here while you're out, try to get some work done." She wrinkled her nose in distaste at her laptop, and then eyed the other slice of bread on Poe's plate hungrily. He snorted and then scooted it her way -- it was gone just as fast as the pie. 

"For Luke?"

"Mhm." Rey stood with her plate and set it in the small sink. The water turned on, and Rey spoke over the sound of the faucet. "He wants me to do some research on the First Order's suit against a co-op from 2012. I've already looked over the legal brief and it's...bleak. Razed them to the ground in court, and that land's now a block of mini mansions." The water turned off, but Rey stayed at the sink, now staring out the small window in front of her. 

"Those fuckers need to burn."

"Hey, now, Ranger Dameron, you're literally the spokesman _against_ uncontrolled fires." Rey looked at him over her shoulder. "But yes, they do. If I'm right about some dark money changing hands with the judge, this case might be a spark."

They exchanged a smile, and the light in Rey's eyes, the incredible, almost tangible passion that exuded from her expression reminded him forcibly why he'd fallen in love with her in the first place. Poe might be able to rescue some animals, plant some trees, and keep a park running -- but Rey was going to change the world.

"Good." Poe stood, and his back finally cracked. "Oh. Okay! Well, I'm going to... put pants on, and then I'm gonna head up to the river trail. I'll radio you if I'll be out past... three? Four?"

"Sounds good." Rey grabbed his plate from the table before he could, and she turned back to the sink to clean it off. Poe shook his head in defeat and walked back to where his pants had been abandoned, pre-romp. Once he was fully dressed, he kissed Rey on the cheek, grabbed his radio and backpack, and headed out the door. He paused long enough to step into his boots and lace them tightly -- and then he pursed his lips and whistled, loud and low. "Beebee -- wanna go see the bears?"

The answering shriek was immediate and shrill. The porcupine bounded down the porch steps to gambol around Poe's feet while he pulled his PVC hip-waders on over his boots and jeans. Beebee chucked in impatience as Poe tested his radio settings, compass sighting, and headlamp, then made sure that he had tranqs accessible, but tags loaded. He'd never had to tranq any of the bears in the park, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Grizzly Male C-3PO, in particular, could get territorial around this time of year.

"You ready, buddy?" Poe asked, already tromping over to where his pick-up waited. A yelp of excitement answered him, and Beebee scurried across the clearing as fast as his short legs could carry his round body. 

Poe set up the board that he used as a Designated Porcupine Passenger Ramp for his favorite prickly co-pilot.

The proud porcupine seemed to fluff up with self-importance at the special treatment and clambered aboard. Poe set the board aside, closed the door firmly behind Beebee, and crossed the front of the truck to the driver's side. The engine started smoothly (Rey tinkered with it all the time, which meant Poe had experienced zero car trouble in the time since they'd met), and soon the boys found themselves rattling down the make-do road towards bear territory. 

Lest Poe get an inadvertent quilling while driving down winding, unpaved trails, Beebee had free reign over the truck's bed. They passed Leia and Finn near the border of the designated campgrounds, and Poe waved to them through the window.

The silver-haired director waved back; her favored intern could not, as his arms were full of invasive plants, about to be bagged and removed from the park, no doubt. 

"Be careful, Ranger Dameron," Leia called as he drove by. "I hear Threepio's in a mood recently."

"Artoo tell you that?" Poe called back. He was only half-joking. The first time he saw the enormous silver-flecked grizzly bear following tiny, elfin Leia like a lapdog, Poe had been torn between saving her life and marveling at the existence of a real-life wood nymph.

He still wasn't entirely certain Leia wasn't some magical goddess come to walk amongst them; if you spoke to her husband, Han, he'd give you the same assessment. Leia Organa-Solo was a force of nature, and the bears' appreciation of the director was only one more piece of evidence towards that conclusion. 

"Check out the twitter later, Dameron!" Finn shouted as the truck rolled out of sight.

Poe sighed heavily and took the next turn on the trail, the one that brought his truck into territory that was banned to casual park visitors.

Beebee seemed to realize where they were, the deeper they got into the forest, and his heightened squeaks had Poe smiling fondly into his rearview mirror.

He felt guilty more often than not that Beebee wasn't suited for life in the wild with other porcupines and the animals that seemed to so fascinate his spiky little friend.

Rationally, he understood that the porcupine couldn't survive long without the support of his human friends -- he'd been so frail when Poe found him, so dependent on his help for everything from warmth to food to shelter -- but it still upset him to know that on some level, he'd failed in rehabilitating the round, prickly creature. 

Instead, he'd domesticated him. Quills and all. For all that Beebee looked and sounded (and sometimes smelled) like a wild animal, he was unfailingly loyal to his human friends.

The truck eased to its first stop, where the river's flow was almost stopped by a massive beaver dam that predated even Leia's residence in the park.

Poe grabbed his clipboard and a sharpie, and marked the time and date, as well as the temperature and time of last rainfall -- last night, around 1 a.m. Then, he grabbed a large bottle from the back of the truck and marked it with the location and time and date. He slopped through the muddy embankment and knelt carefully on a slippery rock; leaning over the water's edge, he flipped the bottle upside-down, submerged it, and then tipped it back upright. He capped the bottle and returned to the truck, smiling at the moist, twitching nose of Beebee poking out over the back of the truck bed. 

"You doin' okay there, buddy?" Poe let Beebee squeak a long string of excitable noises. "Oh, really? The beavers are gossiping about us? What are they saying?"

Beebee's report was very dismissive of the beavers and their troublesome ways; Poe hummed and nodded while finishing up the spreadsheet entry for this spot on their route. They loaded up and continued on their way, traveling upstream on the access road for as long as possible. 

Eventually, the path between the trees tapered off to almost nothing, a barely-noticeable winding of foot-crushed pine needles and loamy black soil. Beebee's happy chattering was so loud that Poe could hear him even over the purr of the truck's motor winding to a stop.

"Think we'll see your buddies today, pal?" Poe asked, hopping out of the truck and walking to the water's edge to collect the sample. Beebee's noises of excitement were nonpareil; for the porcupine's sake, Poe hoped that Artoo would at least make an appearance in the distance.

Poe would swear, later, that Beebee answered, _"Yeah! Bears!"_

He chuckled to himself and finished capping the sample; it was now time to proceed on foot. He stored the last sample and double-checked his tranqs and radio before setting off on the tamped-down pine needles that served as a path deeper into the park.

Part of him wished that he could put a leash on Beebee, but he'd tried it exactly once and learned better almost immediately. Another part of him, the most selfless conservationist part of him, hoped that Beebee would run snuffling into the underbrush to find a nice porcupine mate and stay fat and wild and happy.

A wild image entered his mind then, almost Narnia-like in its domestic simplicity: a round, jolly Beebee coming home from a long day of hunting pumpkins to his happy, burbling mate who snuffled his chin. After a hearty dinner of gourds and greens, the pair would tuck in their three squirming, happy babies, nosing each in turn when it came time to say goodnight.

Maybe another part of him -- the selfish part -- imagined the same for himself. For Rey.

He kept a wary eye open and scanning for signs of bears as he went down the path -- but, the rest of his attention was now slipping, spiraling into a daydream where he built an addition to the cabin (Finn would help, and maybe Han, who had experience as a carpenter), where the walls were painted yellow, soft curtains in the window, where a little chair, or maybe two, or three, joined the ones already at the kitchen table. 

But no. It wasn't what Rey wanted. At least, not the last time he'd asked her. Poe loved his wife, and the last they spoke of it -- months ago, now; before they’d even married -- she'd made it clear that her life didn't have room for children at the moment. _But it wasn't a no._ That was the tantalizing detail that kept this daydream going. 

A soft undercurrent of Beebee's bulk crunching through the underbrush and his curious chit-chat kept just enough of Poe's attention on the forest around them.

Their journey through the mid-day was pleasant enough; the chirping of birds overhead and the lush sound of wind through the red and orange leaves were an enjoyable background melody to his and Beebee's conversation as they completed their six mile in-and-out hike to finish sampling the water.

Poe stopped to sit on a fallen tree trunk and drink some clean, cool water from his reusable bottle, and he marveled anew as a family of deer stepped out of the trees to graze in magnificent silence. Beebee lumbered up to them, hollering excitedly, but only the fawn reacted to his presence (with an elastic-legged jump that made Poe stifle a laugh into his forearm lest he damage Beebee's dignity).

Coughing slightly from his effort to hide his glee at Beebee's expense, Poe capped his Nalgene back up and clipped it to his belt. A small flock of birds heading south soared overhead, and he tipped his head back to watch them for a moment.

A soft nudge against his arm made Poe jump. 

It was the doe, her huge brown eyes gentle as Rey's at her most vulnerable and content, her quiet late-night eyes: she, like the doe, carried a presence that spoke of some ancient knowledge that Poe would never be able to understand.

"Hey girl," he murmured softly, so as not to startle her. "Just checking me out, huh?" Poe stayed as absolutely still as possible and let the deer sniff his leg and elbow experimentally, her rough tongue darting out to taste the edge of his water bottle.

She didn't make a sound during her quiet, thoughtful exploration. Even though Poe was surrounded by nature, wild animals and breathtaking sights, all day every day, he still felt... oddly like he were being blessed.

The sunrise this morning, Beebee's utter joy at his surprise pumpkins, his time with Rey, and now this quiet moment with the doe and her fawn -- Poe rarely doubted the line of work he entered, but days like these (normal days, really, nothing much out of the ordinary when you put it on paper) reminded him of how incredibly lucky he was to put on his ranger uniform and uphold the values he so deeply treasured. 

An indignant, protective chirrup from Beebee chased the doe away from her soft-lipped perusal of Poe's hand.

"Hey now," Poe chided him gently. "I got love enough for both of you."

It took a few well-placed snout scritches to assure Beebee that he was first in Poe's heart (as far as four-legged beasties went). 

"Alright, pal." Poe stood and watched as the pale shapes of the deer melted back into the forest. "Let's go down to the water to get that last sample and maybe see your big buddies."

Beebee squeaked in excitement and trundled after Poe as they made their way to the last bend in the river.

The water here smelled heavily of carbon and mud. The silver bodies of fish flashed in the waning afternoon sunlight as they swam just below the rushing surface of the cold water.

Poe was even more careful than normal in collecting the sample -- for one heart-stopping moment, he thought he was tipping forward into the ice-cold current, but he hooked his boot underneath the rock he was lying on, and maintained his balance. "Got it!" He called to Beebee, who was watching him anxiously from the side of the river.

Beebee's snub face wasn't pointed toward him, though.

Across the river, a deceptively soft _splash_ and the panicked directional change of the fish signalled to Poe that one of the bears had come out to visit. 

Poe turned very, very carefully to see which of the apex predators had decided to show themselves.

Grizzly Male R2D2, born the last season that Luke Skywalker worked at this park -- back when Poe's dad, Kes, still inhabited the cabin where Poe and Rey now lived -- blinked insolently at Poe from where he sat in the water as though it were a comfortably warm spa.

"Shit," Poe swore under his breath. He eyed his side of the riverbank, calculating how long he needed to scramble back without irritating or alarming the grizzly. They were a perfectly respectable distance away, but still best not to -

Double shit. Beebee was waddling up river to face R2 more directly. 

"Hey, pal," Poe said, as lightly as he could. He moved as slowly and quietly as he could and kept his face towards the massive bear. Unlike the other surviving bear from that season, the ornery Grizzly Male C-3P0, Artoo wasn't keen on... moving, if he could avoid it. He grew his bulk by sitting still in the river and letting dim-witted fish swim right into his waiting claws. But that didn't mean that he _couldn't_ decide to make it across the water to Poe or his prickly companion faster than either human or porcupine could get away, if he wanted.

So, Poe kept his focus on the lumbering, deceptively chubby bear and called Beebee back to him. "Let's head home, huh?" He asked quietly, sliding backwards until his feet touched ground. Beebee warbled in protest, and R2 cocked his head as though he could hear the noise from the three hundred feet that separated them. 

Poe watched the silvery nose of the bear dip under the crystal water. When he emerged again, shaking droplets from his thick fur, a still-flopping fish struggled between his teeth.

"Atta boy." Poe grinned even though his heart rate had picked up undeniably in the presence of the admittedly highly dangerous creature. Beebee made his way back to Poe's side, and they gazed for a few seconds longer as R2 began to nose around for more scrumptious morsels. 

"I know," Poe said, already turning on his heel and walking back to the main path. He threw glances over his shoulder every few feet, to make sure they weren't keeping R2's attention. "I know, but -- we have pumpkins, and he doesn't."

 _My pumpkins!_ , his answering squeak seemed to say. 

The forest grew steadily darker and grayer around them as they made their way back to the truck. The air cooled until Poe could see puffs of his own breath and little white clouds of porcupine breath as Beebee climbed up his ramp into the truck's bed.

"Ready to go home?" Poe asked, and was pleased that his and Beebee's answer was the same.  
They drove on in the growing twilight, passing Leia's ranger station, and climbing up through the park towards the cabin and its soft, welcoming lights.

He waited until Beebee climbed down his ramp again before he squatted to pet Beebs' nose. "Are you sleeping inside or outside tonight, kiddo?"

Sniffing the air as if to test the brisk chill that had set in the sun's diminishing presence, Beebee warbled uncertainly. "Inside it is," Poe chuckled. At that exact moment, the front door was thrown open, and a familiar silhouette stood, backlit by the warm lights within. 

Rey had tied her hair up in three haphazard knots; her eyes looked tired behind her round glasses. But her smile was triumphant as she watched her boys come up the cabin's steps.

"Did you have a good day?" She asked, crouching down to hold a welcoming hand out to Beebee, who reached her first. The porcupine snuffled it delightedly before walking past her, into the warm cabin. Rey stood and smiled at Poe; his heart entirely full, he stepped forward to kiss her on the cheek, the nose, and then the lips.

"Artoo looks good," Poe said, by way of answer. "He's definitely got enough bulk to make it through the winter."

"Mmm, let's make sure you do, too," Rey teased, poking Poe in his belly (he used to boast a six pack, but a year of domesticity and his approach to forty had given him an inch or so of pudge around his middle -- as far as he could tell, Rey loved it). " I made chili."

Poe grinned and kissed her forehead. "Great. Let me shower off all the sweat and river shit."

"Slip into something more comfortable," Rey teased.

"Only the best for you, my love," Poe said, winking heartily as he left his boots outside the door. He walked through to the bathroom, the aromatic blend of spices wafting from the stove making his mouth water, and encouraging his shower to be much shorter than usual. 

He scrubbed away the microbes and animal smell of the river, catalogued his vials to send with Finn to the lab in the morning so the genius microbiologist could do... whatever it was he did with them, and changed into warm pajamas.

Poe shuffled towards the kitchen area of the cabin, rubbing his neck, the warmth of the water still seeping pleasantly into his muscles. "Smells good, babe," he murmured. "Thanks." He sank into his chair with an exhausted groan.

"It's the last of the cauliflower and zucchini from the plot," Rey said. "And I broke out some of your dad's dried chiles that he sent last year. And beer."

"I love you," Poe groaned. He groaned again when he lifted the lid off the small ceramic pot in the middle of the table -- warm, moist cornbread glistened invitingly, and he snagged a piece, dunking it in the chili and shoving it in his mouth without further ado. 

Rey's cheeks flushed as though she were hearing the words for the first time. "It only took a few minutes to throw everything in the oven. I had a, er, decryption key backtracking through that sleazeball Ren's e-mail, so there was time to spare."

"God, I love it when you talk dirty." Poe smirked when her blush deepened, and he set his fork down (a momentous task) and covered her hand with his. "You're incredible, you know that?"

“Yeah," Rey agreed. "I am. And so are you."

Her hand flipped, her fingers threaded through his, and she squeezed his hand gently. Poe rested his chin in his free hand and took a minute to properly smile at his wife, utterly distracted by her beauty, her kind smile, her gorgeous eyes. 

"Aren't you going to eat?" He asked. She never didn't eat.

She grinned sheepishly. "I might have… hate-eaten earlier… a whole bag of Doritos... when I was digging through Ren's emails." They rarely kept junk food in the cabin, and Poe briefly wondered at where she'd managed to hide the cheesy, salty snack. 

"Still though," Poe leaned over to the utensil drawer and took out another fork. "You should eat." He stuck the fork in his own bowl, not wanting her to have to get up, and Rey smiled, hesitating for only a moment before tucking in heartily to the large bowl of chili (which Poe would never have been able to finish anyway).

In the corner, the telltale scraping of teeth told Poe that Beebee had stashed his own rare, orange snacks in the cabin and was now devouring another miniature pumpkin.

The lull that washed over the cabin was hypnotic in its quiet nature, warmth and a sense of _family_ that surrounded Poe, Rey, and their plucky porcupine friend

"Anyway," Rey said, after a few minutes of companionable silence, "I may have found a backdoor connection directly into that worm's computer, which means we have a window into Snoke's computer, since I don't think so-called Ren has had an original thought in since years." Rey smiled, slow and stained chili-red. "I know the exact location of Starkiller's corporate offices now."

"No," Poe breathed, eyes wide and a slow grin spreading across his face. Rey nodded, a pleased little scrunch forming in her nose, and Poe laughed, showering her hand with kisses before releasing it. "That's incredible! You're gonna burn those fuckers down."

"That's the idea." They ate quickly after that, the exhilaration of the day weighing heavily on them both.

After they'd gotten into bed, Beebee snuffling quietly in the corner, Poe asked: "Have you told Leia yet? Or Luke?"

"Mhm," Rey nodded, burrowing further under the covers with a contented sigh. "Sent Luke an encrypted message as soon as I was sure. He might even come visit to discuss it further -- untraceable if it's a face to face conversation."

"I have my ways," Rey purred, scooting in close to him. Poe wrapped an arm around her waist and buried his nose in her hair. "They involve messenger pigeons and very dedicated mice."

Poe blinked up at the ceiling as Rey did her usual nightly dance of tossing and turning and pushing and prodding him into exactly the right cuddling position. Once she settled, her breath warm and soft over his chest, Poe admitted, "I'm... not sure whether you're kidding."

"That's half the fun," Rey pointed out, her right leg thrown over his thighs, one arm crooked so her hand was tucked under her chin. He had no idea how she even got into that position, let alone planned to maintain it for the next few hours. 

He stroked his hand over the curved length of her side and tucked his cold fingers under her top to rest against her warm skin. Rey hissed through her teeth, but didn't shrug him away.

Poe huffed in happiness, his eyelids undeniably drooping. "You found the way to bring down the First Order, made Beebee very happy, and had some...very creative exercise." Rey giggled, soft and sweet, into his chest at the mention of their rigorous activities from this morning. "So, did you have a good day, Mrs. Dameron?"

"I did, Ranger Dameron." Rey's voice was soft as she cuddled her cheek against his chest. "But there's someone you haven't asked yet."

"Yeah?" Even in his full-body exhaustion, Poe's interest was piqued. "Who's that, sweetheart?"

Rey wriggled just enough so that Poe's hand slid from her side to her belly.

Poe's eyes fluttered open once more, and his eyes went immediately to his hand. He could almost hear the understanding click in his mind. "...Sunshine?"

Rey smiled, her eyes still closed like she'd already begun to doze off. "You always say that conservation matters for the next generation to have a safe, beautiful galaxy to live in."

Her smile was mischievous under her projected calm, and Poe shifted, his weight resting on his elbow as he sat upright and stared down at his wife. Her lips twitched, her eyes still clenched shut, a grin tucked away in the corner of her mouth while he struggled to find the words. 

"You mean… you're… I'm going to -- _Rey_."

She cracked open one wry eye. "D'you think Beebee will mind?"

Poe whooped with laughter and leaned down to pepper her face with adoring kisses before wiggling down on the mattress so her belly -- still flat -- could get the same treatment. Rey squealed but turned so she was on her back, giving Poe more access to her body, so he could continue his rainfall of kisses. 

"I take it this is good news, then?"

"Of course it is!" Poe propped his chin on her hip so he could stare up at her, adoring and suddenly so full of energy he felt as though he had been electrified.

"Yeah?" Rey's smile was shy, and he ran a soothing hand along her hip. She shivered in response, and he kissed the thin skin over her hipbone. 

"I love you," he whispered, his fingertips trailing over her lower belly. "Holy shit, I'm so happy." He crawled up the length of Rey's body to smother her face in kisses.

She giggled sweetly, ,and he kissed her fully, laughing heartily himself. Their hands roamed luxuriously, not leading anywhere, not heated, but warm and loving and thrilled with the notion of nearness to one another. 

Eventually, Rey yawned right into Poe's mouth.

"Need some sleep, mama?" Poe asked, a thrill passing through him at the word. He nuzzled her jaw and shifted over so he was on his side again. Rey nodded sleepily, kissing him one last time before rolling away from him, scooting backwards until her ass was flush to his semi-hard cock. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed the side of her neck tenderly.

Outside, an owl hooted into the night and wings beat the chill air. Trees rustled as leaves fell, returning to the earth to nourish it for the coming year as the underbrush swallowed the rot of the leaves. Pine trees dropped their cones to burst seeds into the black dirt. Faintly, just below the whisper of the breeze, the low rumble of the river bending and crashing at the falls moved, endless and constant. Fleet hooves of the deer, heavy bear paws, skittish skunks and thoughtful lynx made tracks in the lacy frost. 

Takodana National Park bloomed.

And Poe Dameron and his family settled down for the night.

**Author's Note:**

> [Happy Halloween from Bumbly Baby!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cILZ_cB3_so)


End file.
